


Bandmates Never Stand Alone

by HiddenVoice7



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29294577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenVoice7/pseuds/HiddenVoice7
Summary: This is a fic about Hajime's and Ibuki's relationship after the events of DR3.Mild references to other ships will be used, too, but the main focus are these two munchkins.Just a warning. This is gonna be a long one. And lots of Ibuki hugs ahead.You have been warned.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Mioda Ibuki, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko, Nidai Nekomaru/Owari Akane, Soda Kazuichi/Tsumiki Mikan, Sonia Nevermind/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 11
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

Silence. That is what Hajime Hinata and the fellow survivors of the Island killing game heard as they watched over the comatose bodies of their friends. Another day of eerie silence. Hajime had been working day and night to reawaken them, using the knowledge he had obtained from his time as Izuru Kamukura to try to salvage the erased data from the system - admittedly pulling several all-nighters, much to Fuyuhiko's annoyance.

"What the fuck are you doing up at five in the morning? Overworking yourself won't accomplish anything." is what Fuyuhiko said the last time as he pretty much dragged Hajime's weak body out of the room to the nearest bed. Fuyuhiko was a good friend. Looking back on it, it seemed like such a long time ago when he was a rude and antagonistic stranger.

Despite his friends' complaints, Hajime couldn't rest. He would never rest until his friends were saved. He had to save them. The fellow survivors were counting on him to succeed in bringing their loved ones back. His comatose friends were counting on him.

But most importantly, he was counting on them. He had promised them all that they would get off the island together. HE was counting on Izuru - no - on himself to get them out. He wanted nothing more than to talk with the Ultimate Impostor, take pictures with Mahiru, eat Teruteru's cooking, watch Hiyoko gracefully dance, hear Gundham speak nonsensical dramatics, to build Mikan's self-confidence, to train with Nekomaru, to form a band with Ibuki, and even to hear Nagito ramble about hope. He was tired of seeing their bodies behind these green-tinted glass pods.

However, soon, those days would be over. Normally, manually restoring lost data for an average programmer would be impossible. But from the knowledge he had gained as Izuru Kamukura, filling the data, while being a slow process, was a certainty. His fingers hammered at the keys, each key emitting a furious klacking sound. Almost there. He was close. He had been working almost non-stop for seven days - only taking at most a few hours of time to sleep.

When he woke up, he had retained his memory and talents as Izuru. Despite that, he also retained his personality as Hajime. He was essentially both at once. His eye colors - red and green - reminded him of this.

He remembered the sacrifice Chiaki had made to try to protect them. She had wanted them all to survive the killing game together. But despite her greatest effort, they had failed her once...They killed each other, each death creating despair and grief in its wake.

They were once Ultimate Despairs. Perhaps this was karma? Perhaps this was the universe’s way of judging them. But that did not matter to Hajime. He was determined to defy the will of fate and save his friends. He had vowed to see Chiaki’s greatest wish done.

What’s more...He could not forget...Not only what Chiaki had done for him, but also what Ibuki, the Ultimate Impostor, Mahiru, Gundham, Nekomaru and everyone else who had fought to the very end to fight the killing game. He would save them. He was almost finished. Almost ready. He knew he was close.

Almost…

Almost…

With a few quick final strokes, before his brain could even fully register that he had finished, he had started the newly completed command for Alter Ego: Bring them back by convincing the comatose students’ brains that they still lived. The goal was to confuse the brain by uploading contradicting information to the victims’ brains - hopefully ‘convincing’ them that they were, in fact, still alive.

This talent was once a curse to Hajime. It had helped cause the suffering of billions of people. Chiakidied right in front of him - yet he did nothing. Never again. He will never stand by and let his friends die ever again. He will save them.

“So...no matter what happens from this point forward, never ever give up. It's a promise!” Those words echoed in his mind as he initiated the program. Ibuki had told him back on the island...The day before she contracted Despair Disease.

Ibuki’s death cut him deep. He still remembered taking her lifeless body down from the noose. It once belonged to a person full of life - nothing more than an empty, lifeless shell. He had shed many tears the night after the class trial. Ibuki had done nothing but try to help lift everyone’s spirits. Perhaps Junko targeted her because of that trait. They had promised to be band mates for life. It was too soon to back out. Too soon to give up on hope. Too soon to give up on his future with his friend. Too soon fo-

Darkness was enclosing his vision. The abyss of sleep had finally caught up at the worst of possible times. No matter how hard he fought, even he, with all his determination, couldn’t fight his fifty hours without sleep. He thought he heard Kazuichi call out for him. He was falling out of his chair and into the blackness of sleep. Back into the realm of nightmares.

He hated dreaming. Dreaming meant revisiting old memories. Bad memories. Three memories in particular kept flashing through his mind over and over.

He dreamed of Chiaki as she desperately crawled forward, her body rapidly losing blood from multiple pierce wounds. “Once more...I wanted to play games...with you.” She told him before she drew her final breath. Yet he never even moved to save her.

He dreamed of Ibuki’s body hanging lifelessly from the light fixtures in the Titty Typhoon. A body belonging to a person who had tried so hard to help everyone had died such a cruel death. His precious band member was dead before his eyes. If only he were faster...if only he could’ve saved her.

He dreamed of Chiaki’s second death. As Nagito’s scheme was revealed, he watched helplessly as Chiaki was dragged away before he even had the time to thank her. She couldn’t save her...not once, but twice. He was powerless...to do anything.

“It’s your fault.” said a voice behind him. He turned, and his dead classmates were standing there, Ibuki and Chiaki in front.

“You should’ve saved us…” Chiaki said. “You should’ve saved us...Why didn’t you save us?”

“I...I’m sorry!” Hajime choked.

“So weak...you have no right to be Ibuki’s band member.” Said Ibuki.

“It should’ve been you.” Both spoke now. “Why did we die instead of you?”

“No...NO!” Screamed Hajime, feeling something cold tickle his cheeks. He reached a hand up, a desperate attempt at wiping away his tears. “Please! I-”

“Pathetic.” Said Chiaki, looking at the boy with disgust.“ To think we died for a person as pathetic as you.” Hajime couldn’t hold back his fear anymore. He let out a bellowing scream, waking him out of his nightmare and bolding upright straight out of his bed.

His bed? How did he get here…?

“H-Hajime!” Cried out a distressed Kazuichi, standing near his bedside. He must've found Hajime and helped carry him back to his room. Kazuichi was a good friend." Are you okay?!"

Hajime, putting a nervous hand on the back of his head, let out a giggle. "Yeah. Sorry, Kazuichi. Had a nightmare, that's all." Kazuichi let out a sigh. "You nearly gave me a damn heart-attack." He said.

"Was it about...you know?" Hajime nodded slowly. He had told Kazuichi about his nightmares after a similar incident a few days ago. "Hajime. It definitely wasn't your fault. I'm sure nobody would blame you for their deaths, especially not Chiaki."

"I know...I know...but even so, there's this nagging feeling in the back of my head that keeps telling me it's my fault. I was there, Kazuichi. I was right in front of Chiaki as I let her die in front of me. And I still chose to do nothing."

"Hajime, stop! That wasn't you. That was just some talent-obsessed weirdo!" Kazuichi said, crossing his arms. “Sheesh. Alright, look, before you keep going with this, I’ve gotta tell you something.” He said, a serious look in his eyes. “Hajime, you’ve been asleep for two days.”

Hajime’s eyes widened. “Two...days?” He asked, his face growing pale. “Wh-what about...the others? I ran the program, Kazuichi. I told Alter Ego to save them. Did...did it…”

Kazuichi looked away. It looked like he was desperately trying to hide his face. Hajime, eyes widening, stood. He had to confirm for himself. He needed to see with his own eyes. Stumbling out of his bed, he immediately sprinted to the door.

“No...no! I was so sure it would-”

He was suddenly, upon opening the door, slammed with a massive impact to the chest, his vision blurring from the hit. As soon as the impact hit, it was immediately followed by a crushing sensation around his rib cage. And to top it off, a high-pitched female screech echoed from the source of the impact, his ears ringing from the deafening sound.

"Oof! Wh-what the...I can't...breathe?!" He struggled to speak over the energetic squealing and giggling.

Wait. He recognized that voice. His vision focused, and his eyes fixed on a girl with a wild black, blue, and pink hairstyle giving him probably the biggest bear-hug of his life.

"Wait...Ibuki?!"

"Good nom nom nomming, Hajime-chan!" Said Ibuki, loosening her grip, but only slightly. "Ibuki heard you've been working really hard to save her life! Ibuki I'd pleased to tell you that it worked! Ibuki Mioda is back from the dead! Guess this makes you a necromancer, Hajime-chan!" Her smile widened. Hajime could barely hold back his tears. But once he looked up, such effort proved to be futile.

Standing before him was everyone who had died in the killing game. The Ultimate Impostor, Teruteru, Mahiru, Peko, Hiyoko, Mikan, Nekomaru, Gundham and Nagito all stood before him, flanked by his fellow survivors. All were smiling at him. He had done it. He had saved his friends.

Behind Hajime, Kazuichi was letting out a hearty laugh. "Surprise! Everyone woke up between yesterday and the day before. We figured it'd be a nice surprise for you after you woke up. Though, we kinda didn't realize you'd be asleep for so long!"

Hajime couldn't hold back his joy-filled tears." E-everyone...this isn't a dream, right? You're all actually...here, right?"

"Geez, Hajime! I know it's hard for you, but at least try not to be so dense!" Said Hiyoko, who was noticeably taller than Hajime remembered from the Island Killing Game.

This comment was met by Mahiru giving a light bop to the back of the impish blonde's head. "We're all here, Hajime." said the Ultimate Impostor. "You did it. Well done."

"Who's Ibuki's favorite band member in the world? That's right! It's Hajime Hinata!" Said Ibuki, giving a cheerful grin to her savior. Ibuki was still clinging onto Hajime like her life depended on it. Hajime didn't mind. He met her hug, tears now rolling down his face.

"Everyone...everyone...I'm...I'm sorry I couldn't save you! I let you all down! I should've tried harder! I was so useless! I should've-"

"No, that's wrong!" Exclaimed an enthusiastic Nekomaru. "Hehe. Always wanted to say that."

"Hajime nobody here blames you. Nobody here blames ANYONE for what happened. This was all Monokuma's fault." He continued. "Akane told me about what happened when I died. And SHIT! YOU! WERE! BADASS!"

"Hell yeah, he was! We would never would’ve beat that despair-obsessed bitch without him! And he even managed to get everyone up and walkin' again! This guy's a certified badass!" Said Akane enthusiastically, giving Hajime a thumbs-up.

Ibuki finally released her grip. "Hajime-chan, Ibuki couldn't ask for a better band member. You did what Ibuki could never do.." She held a finger up to his nose, a serious expression crossing her face. "Ibuki doesn't like it when you say lies like that about yourself. You aren't useless. You are Ibuki's precious band member!"

"Everyone…"

Looking up, his gaze was met with warm smiles from his friends. There was no more holding back. He broke down crying, reaching for the nearest person, Ibuki, and hugging her as tightly as she could, an action she instantaneously and eagerly returned, giggling with delight. "Thank you...thank you so much!" Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Looking down, he saw Ibuki chomping her teeth down on him.

“GAAAAAHHHH!!! I-Ibuki stop!”

Ibuki shrugged, giving him a coy smile. “Ibuki couldn’t help but want to take a bite out of you, Hajime-chan! Also, haven’t you been holding Ibuki for too long? Ibuki might think you want something else.”

The remainder of the day was filled with laughter and chatter as everyone mingled. There were apologies, long conversations, and even two love confessions that day. Even Hiyoko, after some stern convincing from Mahiru and Kazuichi (the latter of whom only joined in because somebody else spoke first), told Mikan that the nurse was forgiven. This day marked the death of the remnants of despair and the resurrection of the former class of 77-B.

_Chiaki...I hope you're watching us...I hope you know that...We are going to choose our own path from here. Thank you...for everything._


	2. Oneirophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp. First chapter's out. Hope all of you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next.
> 
> To save you guys a trip to google, Oneirophobia is the fear of dreams.

Darkness. That is what Hajime was desperately running through. An intense, all-consuming darkness devoid of all hope, love, and joy surrounded him as he ran to a place not even he knew. The void in front of him seemed to expand endlessly in all directions. All directions except for a dim light that shone in front of him. He did not know why he was running nor did he know where he was going to, but despite this, he continued to approach it. As he grew closer to it, an intense feeling slowly began to overwhelm all other emotion and reason. A burning desire to prevent the loss of something or someone important to him. He needed to reach that light.

He continued to run, and the urges intensified tenfold. They grew and grew, the light shining brighter and brighter, the source drawing closer and closer.

Almost there…

He could finally make out what he was running to, and he saw that the light was being emitted from a door. Reaching for it, his mind raced, the desperation overwhelming his system. The thought of 'I have to save her.' screamed in a deafening volume as his hand attempted to grasp at the handle.

Then the door opened, but it was not Hajime who had opened it. A hooded figure opened the door from the other side.

He knew her face.

“Chiaki?” He called out.

Chiaki smiled warmly as she started to run into his arms.

Suddenly, the whistle of a spear shot out of nowhere from behind Hajime. It phased through Hajime, as if he was not even there. The spear, however, pierced the Ultimate Gamer's chest, and a sharp stabbing noise echoed about the abyss around them. The impact of the spear caused Chiaki to stumble backwards. Hajime could only watch in horror as dozens of more spears shot from every angle possible, skewering his former crush right before his eyes.

“Hajime…” Chiaki struggled to get her words in, as the lifeforce from her voice drained with each turn she spat more blood out. “Why...couldn’t you...save me?”

He finally realized why he was so desperate. He was desperate because he had to save her. And he had spectacularly failed her. He was truly a failure.

Hajime woke up screaming in his bed, completely drenched in cold sweat. He clutched his head in a distressed attempt in order to escape whatever that had transpired inside the depths of his mind. It took him a few seconds before Hajime realized all of that had been another nightmare, just to add to the collection. The abyss had been replaced by the dim lights emitted from the various appliances in his cabin. He was safe, yet the guilt of failing Chiaki still lingered.

Straightening his back, Hajime checked the time on the nearby alarm clock, lighting his lamp. 3:38 at night. Barely three hours have passed after he had fallen asleep the previous night. However, after that horrible nightmare, he definitely did not want to fall asleep again and face the horrors that resided in his dreams. He rose from his bed, deciding to head to the cafeteria. He planned on preventing his body's temptations for sleep by filling his insides with as much coffee as it could handle. After last night, the mere thought of sleep terrified him. He did not want to go back. The image of Chiaki's pained expression brought him a fear like no other.

He needed to stop doing this. It was not healthy, and was only a matter of time before the others noticed. He was surprised that Mikan hadn’t called out his sleep deprivation days ago, given her profession. Did she not notice? He purged such a silly notion from his mind. Mikan definitely noticed, but was respectful enough of his situation to not pry into it.

It had been six months since the group made the decision to return to Jabberwock Island, it certainly wasn't easy. Of course, the Future Foundation regularly donated food and medical supplies to the island's inhabitants every month - Makoto and the others made sure of that - but that did not help the problems caused by Junko's influence. 

Apparently, much of the Neo World Program's simulation was based off the real island. Excluding the Monokuma factory, the Hope's Peak ruins, and the center island, the majority of the island was exactly as they had experienced in the simulation. Even their old cabins were still there, so the group had decided to take their original cabins from the simulation, with Mitarai taking the cabin that would've been Chiaki's. Despite having to survive on the island with only the sixteen inhabitants, the main issue was the post-traumatic stress that all of the survivors suffered.

Not only was the group subjected to a horrible killing game, but they were also former terrorists who, under the brainwashing of the Ultimate Despair, committed such terrible atrocities that made Hajime sick to his stomach with a mere thought. Truth is, Hajime was not alone in his nightmares. Most of them, even Nagito, had nightmares about these events, though some had already greatly recovered. Even after death, Junko Enoshima insisted on tormenting her former classmates for as long as she could.

Regardless, Hajime couldn't risk falling back asleep. At least that's what he thought that as he sipped his iced coffee from the edge of the second-floor cafeteria. He needed to do something relaxing instead. After some pondering, his eyes came to the scenery that was normally hidden by the fences from the ground floor. He had decided. He needed a long walk after a nightmare like that.

Finishing his coffee, Hajime walked down the cafeteria stairs, around the pool, and through the gate between the cottages, leading him beyond the fence and to the walkway.

He thought about Chiaki, his first love, and oh how he missed her. He wanted nothing more than to play games with her, to feel her embrace, and to see her smile. However, those days were long over. She died in front of his eyes not once, but twice. He had failed her twice. It was his fault. He could feel the sensation of tears slowly trickling down his face. Wiping them away, he continued on his aimless path to a destination not even he knew.

His eyes wandered to the beach as he slowly walked past it. The dimly-lit sand seemed to extend infinitely into the darkness. Each wave that crashed upon the sand seemed too weak to disturb the dunes. Each palm tree seemed less like a tree and more like a prisoner of the void that the sand and darkness formed.

That's when he saw her. Though it was dark, he could see Ibuki's silhouette standing in the sand, the darkness engulfing even her. What was she doing awake at this time? Hajime decided to find the answer to this question himself.

Hajime waved, "Hey! Ibuki!"

There was a slight pause, but the silence was quickly forgotten when Ibuki turned energetically, striking a pose, and shouting back, "What's this?! Is Hajime-chan summoning Ibuki?! Your wait ends now, my precious bandmate!" She sprinted over, and was soon standing about three feet away from Hajime, staring at him almost too much, as if her pink-colored eyes were attempting to see straight through his body.

"Hajime-chan...Didn't I scold you yesterday for your terrible sleeping habits? Those dark circles are practically screaming 'I ignored my important bandmate's advice!'" She scolded, eyes narrowing as she continued to stare, eyes sweeping across his skin like spotlights searching for any other imperfections.

Hajime sighed, one of his hands retreating to the back of his head. "S-sorry...nightmare." He answered honestly. Ibuki was more perceptive than she was given credit for. There was no point in hiding the truth from his friend. However, he didn't make any attempt to explain further.

Ibuki, having a vague understanding of his situation, despite not knowing most of the detail, relented her investigation, slowly nodding to her bandmate instead.

"Hey, Ibuki, why are you awake?" Hajime asked. "Is something the matter?"

Ibuki struck a pose, forming a peace sign with her fingers. "That's a secret." Typical Ibuki.

Suddenly, Ibuki grabbed Hajime by the wrist. "Ibuki knows what to do!" She suddenly declared, dragging Hajime by the wrist. "Ibuki is going to play with her favorite bandmate, Hajime-chan!" She let out a scream of excitement, holding Hajime in a firm grip as she sprinted full speed ahead to the center island.

Hajime, despite being roughly dragged by the arm to a place he did not know, smiled. He had grown used to this routine when he spent time with Ibuki. It was normal for her to stumble across her bandmate unpredictably and drag him to a random location of her choosing. Sometimes, not even she knew exactly where she was taking him. However, what he saw next caused Hajime's smile to diminish, replaced by a look of confusion.

From the angle that he could see her, Hajime thought he saw something under Ibuki's eyes in her profile. However, it was too dark to properly focus on whatever was blemishing her eyes. He assumed it was a trick of the night's dim lighting, and his mind soon wandered back to spending time with his bandmate.

Hajime's concerns were quickly drowned out by Ibuki taking him to climb trees with her. The two played for hours up there, climbing while playing rock-paper-scissors at the same time. Upon reaching the top of the tree, Ibuki revealed a deck of cards and forced him to play her own strange version of poker. She easily won that game considering most of Hajime's cards fell out of his hand down to the bottom of the tree. Admittedly, Hajime's mind had left the subject of Chiaki. His thoughts were entirely controlled by the positive energy that Ibuki constantly spread.

After climbing down the tree, Hajime sighed, exhausted from clinging onto a tree for hours. "Thanks, Ibuki. I really needed that." He spoke between pants, the sudden exercise leaving his already sleep-deprived body rendered completely drained of energy.

Ibuki, giving her bandmate a wink, giggled. "No time to wait, Hajime-chan! DRINK TIME!" She screamed, grabbing Hajime by the wrist and, once again, sprinting full-speed towards the cottages.

Twenty-five minutes later, Hajime found himself having a sense of deja vu as he sat with Ibuki on the steps to the cafeteria, the two of them drinking more coffee they had grabbed from the back cooler.

Ibuki loudly gulped down her drink, making a loud gasp for breath and slamming down the plastic bottle when she finished. "Ibuki could drink this stuff forever!" She exclaimed before shrieking at the top of her lungs, the noise threatening to wake the other Island-dwellers.

Hajime chuckled despite his ringing ears. He had forgotten how much he had missed Ibuki. She seemed to be an endless supply of energy and joy, her positivity never ceasing to banish his negative emotions. He truly enjoyed the Ultimate Musician's company.

He felt an arm affectionately wrap around his shoulder. He turned, and Ibuki was giving him an uncharacteristically serious expression. "Ibuki has been avoiding this question, but she needs to know. Hajime-chan, what are your nightmares about? I've been your most important bandmate for months, but I still don't know anything about them. Please...I want to help you."

Hajime sighed. Only Kazuichi was aware of his nightmares. He didn't like to shove his burdens on others, for best or for worse. "Ibuki, I…I'm sorry. It's not the right time for me. I...I need time to prepare myself."

One look in Hajime's eyes was enough for Ibuki to understand. Behind his attempt to be stoic in appearance, she could see the pain reflecting from behind his eyes. She nodded, backing away for the second time tonight. "Ibuki wants to help you, Hajime. She wants to save you from your pain. Ibuki is always here for her number one bandmate."

"Thank you."

He smiled at her, but he could swear he could make some kind of blurry shadow underneath Ibuki's eyes. Shadows similar to the ones under his eyes with one key difference. They were much darker than his.

"Hey, Ibuki. How long have you been awake?" He asked.

Ibuki smiled at him, standing from her spot before winking. "That's a secret!" She responded before skipping away. 

"H-hey! Ibuki!" But she left before he could get another word in, leaving a single question hanging in the air.

_Ibuki...I promise...I will tell you someday, but...what in the world is happening with you, right now?_

As he pondered the answer to this question, he fished another iced coffee out of the drink cooler, opening the lid and letting the cold and bittersweet liquid past his lips. It was probably several months ago when he started drinking coffee to combat his sleep deprivation. He knew how dangerous this habit was for his body, but his mind filled with terror at the thought of seeing Chiaki again in his nightmares. However, he knew he could not stay awake forever. The more he drank, the more his body adjusted to the caffeine. Eventually, he would need to face the horrors that dwelled in his nightmares once again.

His vision blurred as a glowing orb of light slowly entered his vision. Raising a hand, he shielded his face from the rays. As his vision adjusted, he realized that the sudden light came from the rising sun. He watched as the orb slowly rose over the horizon, the warm rays beaming down on the boy as the sun welcomed the new day.

Hajime slowly exhaled as he stretched his body, watching as Nekomaru and Akane left their cabins to do their regular morning exercise routine. The pair waved at him, their grins seeming to shine brighter than the sunrise itself. Their other hands entwined up until they dove into the pool, beginning their swimming routine.

Hajime smiled. He was happy some were able to find joy, despite all the horrible crimes they committed. Akane and Nekomaru trained regularly together, each morning performing a different routine to keep their bodies healthy. Peko and Fuyuhiko regularly visited each other’s cabins, the two of them working to make up for the many years of misunderstandings. Sonia and Gundham were practically inseparable, the two spending many hours both studying the occult and animal-training. The Ultimate Impostor and Mitarai busied themselves with leading the inhabitants, handling the various donations and requests sent to and from the Future Foundation. Hiyoko and Mahiru regularly spent time together, the pair resembling a mother and daughter with each day passing despite Hiyoko’s growth spurt. Kazuichi and Mikan were spending more time together lately, too, the former frequently injuring himself during mechanic work and visiting the hospital. Teruteru cooked every major meal for the inhabitants, dedicating every meal in memory of his deceased mother. Nagito’s health was worsening by the week, yet he never stopped rambling nonsense about hope and despair.

The story was different for Hajime and Ibuki, however. Hajime tried to assist whoever he could using his talents, yet his nightmares seemed to be worsening by the day. Ibuki, on the other hand, never seemed to ever lose her energy. Ibuki was truly an amazing person. No matter what happened, she never stopped smiling and continued to spread her positive energy to every person she met. He truly admired that aspect of her.

“Hey! Hajime!” His thought process was interrupted by a voice calling out to him. He looked up, his gaze meeting Kazuichi’s. The shark-toothed boy was walking over to him. “Could you move over? You’re blocking the walkway.”

Hajime nodded, scooting over to his right.

“Hey, you ok? You look exhausted.” Kazuichi suddenly asked. Hajime forgot to disguise his exhaustion today. Crap.

Mikan, who had come behind Kazuichi, gasped at the sight of Hajime. “H-Hajime!” She cried out, crouching down so she was level with his seated position. “You look really pale! A-and your eyes are so red! You haven't been sleeping again, have you?!"

Hajime let out an exasperated sigh. Of course the Ultimate Nurse would be able to read his condition immediately. He tried to drink more of his coffee, but Mikan knocked the bottle out of his hand, the liquid spilling out of the container as it tumbled down the steps.

"H-hey!" Yelled Hajime, startling Mikan.

"I-I'm sorry!" She apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you. Please forgi-"

She was interrupted by Kazuichi gently grasping her shoulder. He wore an uncharacteristically stern look as he stared into Hajime's eyes, his gaze unwavering. "Mikan, you don't need to apologize. If anything, he should be the one apologizing to you." His eyes narrowed. "You said you would get some damn sleep!"

Hajime exhaled, prepared to tell them the truth. "Um...so I might have only gotten three hours of sleep last night." He told the duo, readying himself for the ear-full he was about to get.

"H-Hajime!" Mikan's face changed to a chalk-white color as her concern overflowed. "That makes only six hours of sleep in the past three days!"

Hajime avoided eye-contact with Mikan, ignoring her as she frantically felt his forehead and checked his pulse.

"That's it, Hajime. I didn't want to have to do this again, but you've left me no choice." Kazuichi said, cracking his knuckles ominously.

Hajime couldn't help but curse under his breath. "Shit."

Hajime found himself dragged by the arms down the stairs before thrown into his cottage. 

"Get some damn sleep!" Ordered Kazuichi behind him as he slammed the door shut, barricading the door with one of his inventions. 

Hajime, despite his predicament, couldn't help but giggle at the situation, and even felt a little proud of his friends. Kazuichi was far more assertive than he used to be - especially after, three months ago, he finally made the shocking decision to stop chasing after Sonia. He still called her 'Miss Sonia', but he had long since admitted defeat to Gundham, even giving the Ultimate Breeder his blessing. Ironically, this action impressed Sonia greater than anything else he did for her. Granted, it was not easy for the Ultimate Mechanic, as he still glanced longingly at Sonia every once in a while, but his future as an individual looked much brighter than three months ago. Mikan, on the other hand, had grown far more confident in expressing her opinions and observations. While she still had a long way to go, her expression was, overall, calmer than when they had first met. Of course, she still was nervous about interacting with people, but she had grown much more accustomed to greeting her friends

Hajime stretched his arms to their limit, feeling the sleep deprivation overpower the rush the coffee gave to him. No matter how much he wanted to stay awake, he knew he would not be able to for long. Despite his dread, he would be forced to brave his night terrors. He had no choice but to surrender to his friends’ wishes. He stumbled to the bed, nearly losing his footing as he felt wave after wave of sleep crash over him, similar to how the ocean drowns the shoreline with its waves. Darkness slowly engulfed his vision, his eyes drifting shut as the sleep finally conquered his body once again as he fell unconscious. And for the second time that day, Hajime Hinata entered the horrific realm of nightmares.


	3. Shared Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime, as feared, is having a nightmare.
> 
> However, he is suddenly broken out of it by a certain Ultimate Musician.
> 
> Things soon get very emotional between the two.

“Let me out!”

That is what Hajime repeatedly screamed into the abyss, his voice falling upon deaf ears as his panic echoed through the darkness. He had been wailing the same phrase over and over, each word becoming more panicked, desperate, and frantic as each sentence tore through the otherwise quiet atmosphere. Tears crawled down his face like little water faucets as the boy reached desperately between the cold iron bars of a cage that surrounded him in this equally chilling void of despair. 

However, it was not completely empty. Hajime’s gaze was affixed to a horrific scene. He was watching Monokuma, an entity he had hoped he would never see again, laughing his bone-chilling cackle, the bear’s red eye seeming to cut through the boy like a cold knife. The bear laughed at a pair of corpses that hung before Hajime’s red, tear-stained, unwavering gaze. Hajime wanted to look away, yet no matter where he turned his head, the scene turned with his vision, seeming to follow wherever his eyes turned. Hajime resisted the urge to see the corpses’ faces. Temptation overcame him, however, and his eyes drifted slowly and painfully upwards to the corpses’ faces. If his eyes were water faucets before, his eyes began to let out streams of tears that rivalled waterfalls. Hanging before his blurred, tear-stained vision were the corpses of his best friend and his first love. Ibuki Mioda and Chiaki Nanami were hanging by nooses right before his eyes, skin colored like ash and eyes crying a stream of hot-pink blood, the chilling liquid trickling down their face and dripping hauntingly onto the pitch-black ground below.

Hajime could do nothing but watch as the bodies of the people closest to him hung lifeless before his eyes. He begged the demonic bear to free him from his cage, yet Monokuma continued to laugh maniacally, letting the despair dig itself deeper into the imprisoned boy. 

Another figure entered the scene. A tall, long-haired man carrying the same rope used to hang the girls wordlessly, coldly strode in, any remaining warmth in the air being drained with his entrance. Hajime’s eyes drifted towards the newcomer, and his eyes widened as he immediately recognized the newcomer. The man slowly turned to face the prisoner, his movements almost making him appear like a machine instead of human. Standing face-to-face with the grief-stricken Hajime was Izuru Kamukura.

_ BANG! _

Hajime woke from his nightmare, drenched in cold sweat and tears, as Ibuki Mioda carrying a guitar and speakers tumbled from his left bedside window, landing beside his bed in a pile, wearing her signature grin and giggling like a lunatic.

“Good nom nom nomming, Hajime-chan!” Ibuki greeted as she sprang to her feet, guitar still in her hands.

Hajime, while now fully awake, sighed in relief as he saw his bandmate alive and well before his eyes. “Ibuki, what time is it?” He groggily asked, wiping the tears out of his eyes so his vision could adjust. When he glanced at his alarm clock, which read 5:13, he realized he had slept twelve hours since Kazuichi and Mikan had caught him sleep-deprived that morning.

Hajime deeply sighed, realizing what this meant. “At least Kazuichi and Mikan will get off my case…” He muttered.

“Ibuki was so lonely, Hajime-chan, she couldn’t take it anymore! She just had to see you!” 

He already experienced Ibuki’s breaking-and-entering tactics many times before. The first few times, these stunts understandably scared the boy. This would result in Hajime screaming, sending Ibuki into laughing fits as she apologized. Eventually, though, he had grown accustomed to Ibuki’s unannounced entrances. Soon this grew into a semi-regular behavior for him, with Ibuki “testing” Hajime’s locks at least once a week. Today seemed to be one of those days.

Hajime squinted at the sight of Ibuki, attempting to focus on the space beneath her eyes. There was no doubt about it. Ibuki’s lower eyelids were pitch-black from sleep deprivation.

“Ibuki wanted to play a song for Haji-”

“Ibuki, hold it.” Hajime commanded. “Tell me…” The worry seeped into his voice with every word. “How long have you been awake?”

“H-Hajime-chan?”

“Ibuki, you look awful. You’ve not been getting enough sleep. Tell me. How long have you been staying awake?”

Ibuki, nervously poking her fingers together, responded, “W-well...I have done nothing but stay awake for three days!”

The cabin could have exploded and Hajime would have heard nothing. As soon as Ibuki said that, he sat there, his concern coating him like hot tar.

The girl continued, “Okay, I’ve gotten a little sleep here and there, but no more than two hours at a time!”

“I-Ibuki…” He broke the silence after several moments. “A-are you okay?! Why haven’t you been sleeping?!”

For some reason, when Hajime mentioned sleep, he thought he saw Ibuki flinch. It was slight, but could not evade the gaze of Hajime in his alert state. Why did she flinch, though? Hajime could only think of one possible answer. It was the same as him. She was having night terrors, as well.

“Ibuki...are you...having nightmares, too?”

Ibuki, still nervously poking her fingers together, couldn’t make eye contact. “H-Hajime-chan, please...I...don’t want to talk about it, right now.”

Hajime sighed. “Still, you should’ve told someone about…” His voice trailed off. He was suggesting to Ibuki exactly what he, himself, had failed to do. Sure, Kazuichi had an idea, but he never knew the details of his nightmares. Despite the relentless horrors he was constantly experiencing for over six months, he never told anyone what exactly he dreamed about.

“I..I know, but...I...I’m scared of what you’ll think of me. It’s...because of...you know...the Tragedy.”

Hajime understood now. For someone like Ibuki, a person who would normally never hurt a fly, much less another human being, her memories of being a Remnant of Despair must have been a devastating realization. He concluded that she must be having night terrors of her own.

Hajime gathered his thoughts. “Ibuki, whatever it is, I promise...I won’t hate you. You...weren’t yourself. Nobody was. We were all brainwashed...None of us...had any choice…” He looked down, barely holding his tears back as he remembered Chiaki’s body bleed out in front of him. “I trust you...because we’re bandmates, Ibuki.”

Those words were more than enough to convince the Ultimate Musician. “Hajime-chan…” Ibuki began, an unusually serious tone in her voice. “Please...let me play one song for you. After that...I’ll get some sleep and...maybe...Ibuki will tell you everything. That’s a promise.” She surrendered, finally meeting his eyes.

Hajime let her words hang in the air for a few moments before nodding. “Okay.”

Ibuki gave the boy a grin, grabbing a nearby chair and dragging it over to Hajime’s bedside. “Ibuki has been working hard to play an instrumental for Hajime-chan. You’ve been stuck in bed for a looong time after all, Ibuki couldn’t help but get lonely without her precious band member!” 

Ibuki never ceased to amaze Hajime with her constant positivity. However, he did wonder how much of her positive attitude was merely a way to mask her true feelings.

Before his thoughts could continue, Ibuki plucked at the strings of the guitar, playing an energetic, yet oddly calming tune. This was unusual compared to Ibuki’s normal violent way of playing music.

“Ibuki wanted to play you a more relaxing song since you just woke up.” She explained, fingers continuing to work the strings.

Hajime smiled at his friend’s gesture of thoughtfulness, causing Ibuki to giggle with delight, invigorating her to focus even harder on her music. Looking towards her guitar, she continued to play, the song reaching its climax, her fingers moving in a blur as she continued to play.

Hajime took a look at his bandmate’s face, and was shocked to find Ibuki’s eyes had drifted shut while she played. Slowly, her fingers moved away from the instrument, and eventually fell limply to her side. The guitar clattered on the ground as Hajime leapt to his feet. She began to topple out of the chair as Hajime frantically reached out to catch his falling friend.

“I-Ibuki!” He stuttered as he barely caught his friend, her head barely missing from colliding with the floor. He quickly looked over his friend, and quickly drew the conclusion that his friend had merely fallen asleep. Hajime sighed in relief. 

However, he had a new problem. He had no idea what to do with the sleeping Ultimate Musician. He didn’t want to wake her, as he wasn’t sure if she would be willing to fall asleep again. There was also the issue with Kazuichi barricading his door. He couldn’t just carry her through the window to get her back to her cottage.

He had no choice. He gently lifted her and placed her in his bed, tucking her under his blanket so she would be comfortable. She looked kind of cute sleeping like this. He slapped himself for having such a thought about his bandmate. 

He decided to see if he could convince Kazuichi to remove the lock in the meanwhile. He would be able to move Ibuki to her cottage if he could open the door. He walked over to the telephone. It connects to the other cottages, so Hajime began to dial each number for each of his former classmates’ cottages. He hoped that somebody would be able to answer.

Slowly, one-by-one, he dialled the numbers of each cottage, trying to see if anyone would pick up. Unfortunately, not a single person answered his many calls. He assumed they must be having dinner, by now, which would mean that nobody is in their cottage to answer him. He realized that until they had finished dinner, Ibuki would have to stay in his bed.

Realizing he hadn’t eaten since the previous day, he decided he had been left no choice. He had to use his emergency stash of cup noodles. Walking over to the small counter that made up the cabin’s kitchen, he fished a container and a pot from the cabinets. Fortunately, unlike the cabins in the simulation, these cabins were equipped with small stoves and cabinets for kitchenware like utensils and cooking supplies. Perfect for situations like this.

As he prepped the noodles, his mind wandered to Ibuki. He had never realized that his friend was in so much pain. She was always very skilled at masking her negative emotions. He hated himself for not noticing sooner.

His mind was filled with concern the entire time she was asleep. He worried for her health as he cooked the noodles. He was nervous that he wouldn't be able to help her as he ate the noodles. He was anxious that his bandmate would get even worse as he cleaned the kitchenware. He was afraid that his friend would think less of him when this was over as he straightened up his cottage. He was scared that Ibuki would fall into despair again.

That is why he had to do something. He was resolved to help. He was steadfast in his desire to do whatever he could, despite how pathetic he felt, to help his best friend. He was determined to ensure that no matter what, Junko Enoshima would never win again.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. His thought process emptied. He had been so lost in thought, he wasn't able to determine the source of the sound.

"No…" He heard a voice mutter. "Please."

He was quickly able to determine that the source of the sound could have only been from Ibuki. Moving to the side of his bed, he noticed two disturbing details. Ibuki was coated in a layer of cold sweat, the beads of the liquid dampening the bedsheets, and her face was stained with tears, her eyeliner running down the sides of her face.

_ She must be having a nightmare… _

The boy had one choice. He had to wake his friend up and end her pain.

However, before he could wake her, Ibuki's voice became more frantic. 

"No…No...Stop...Don't...kill them...please…No...No...NO!"

She bolted up, screaming as her friend watched in horror. What he saw broke his heart. Ibuki's normal cheerful, energetic demeanor was replaced with one that showed grief, pain, anxiousness, and regret. It was an expression that was filled with despair.

He grabbed his friend by the shoulders, attempting to make eye-contact. No use. Her eyes were glazed over, her state of panic preventing her from focusing on anything.

"Ibuki! It's OK! Snap out of it! It's over!" Hajime attempted to reassure her, never taking his eyes away from her despair-filled irises.

Slowly, Ibuki's eyes focused on her friend, and even more tears streamed down her face. Wordlessly, she reached and wrapped Hajime in a hug, her eyes becoming small waterfalls as she cried her despair away. Hajime slowly, hesitantly returned the gesture, gently stroking his bandmate's long, multi-colored hair as she sobbed into his shoulder.

Eventually, her tears receded, and slowly, she broke the hug, slowly letting go of her band member. Hajime crossed his arms, making eye-contact with his friend once again. His friend, understanding what he was getting at, began to speak.

"I...I was dreaming about...you know...the Tragedy. And...my ex-bandmates." She began, speaking uncharacteristically in the first person, rather than her usual third-person speech pattern. "I...I couldn't stop myself…I couldn't stop...hurting people...killing them...I...I killed them...I killed them all...my bandmates...My precious bandmates...dead…I-"

Hajime had heard enough. "No, that's wrong!"

Ibuki snapped to attention, her gaze fully fixated on her bandmate. "Ibuki," Hajime began, his voice containing a sternness he rarely used. "That was not your fault. You were brainwashed. There was nothing you could've done."

"I...I know...and I tell myself that all the time" she responded. "But...every night...I remember how I tortured them...My bandmates did nothing to deserve that, so why the fuck did they have to die like that?!" She yelled, on the verge of tears again.

"Ibuki…" Hajime pulled Ibuki into another hug. "I...don't know, but...regardless...I'm here for you. I don't think it's your fault."

"H-Hajime…"

"After all, we are bandmates. We have to stick together."

There was a deathly silence in the cabin. It was a void where the air was so still, a pin would have held the same volume as a tree falling. Eventually, Ibuki broke the silence, still clutching onto her bandmate.

"Thank you...thank you so much, Hajime-chan." She said, looking up and showing the first genuine smile since she had woken up. Tears we're still streaming down her face, but they seemed to hold a different meaning than her previous ones. They were tears of joy. "I could never have asked for a better bandmate." She held him a little tighter, holding their embrace for another few minutes.

Eventually, the two separated, yet Ibuki didn't stop staring at Hajime, almost like she was expecting something.

"Hajime-chan," she eventually spoke, speaking with a serious tone of voice. "I've opened up to you, but aren't you forgetting to tell me something?"

This confused Hajime. "What do you mean, Ibuki?"

"Your nightmares, Hajime. I've opened up my heart to you, so now it's your turn."

More deathly silence followed her words. Eventually, Hajime steeled himself, slowly nodding his head, agreeing to her suggestion.

"I...I see her, Ibuki." Hajime broke the silence. "Chiaki, I mean...every night...I see her...on the night of her death...over and over again...I am forced to see her die in front of me…

Actually, that's not right...I see both her...and you...Every night, I am forced to watch as both you and Chiaki die right before me...and I never do anything about it. I just stand there as both of you die.” The boy’s eyes began to drip with tears, shattering what remained of the Ultimate Musician’s heart.

“I hate it...I want to help, but I can't. I always feel trapped in my own mind...I can't do anything...I feel so...pathetic."

Ibuki patiently waited for Hajime to finish before speaking, despite all the slow pauses as he recounted his nightmares. She understood the sensitivity of the topic and wanted to make sure he knew she was listening and on his side.

"How long have you been having these nightmares?" She asked.

"...Ever since I woke from the simulation?"

Ibuki's eyes widened. She knew her bandmate was suffering, yet she could never have guessed it would be this bad. She looked heart-broken as her bandmate spoke.

"Hajime…" She finally spoke as Hajime finished. "You're not pathetic. You're my precious, wonderful, irreplaceable bandmate. Stop calling yourself pathetic. Don't tell yourself such stupid lies."

"Ibuki…"

"Hajime, you know I don't blame you. And I know that Chiaki wouldn't blame you for anything. Her death wasn't your fault. I know this as a fact."

"You're right, but-"

"Hajime, I promise you this: I will remind you how wonderful you are until you stop thinking such horrible thoughts. You saved my life, Hajime. You saved all our lives." She drew Hajime into another embrace. "You...you're my precious bandmate. And nothing will ever change that to me."

Hajime weakly smiled, despite feeling the pain of being reminded of his past. “I...I really appreciate it.”

Ibuki reached over, hugging the boy once again, wrapping him in a gentler hug than earlier. Her hand slowly crept up, and she began to pat her bandmate’s head, her hand flattening his ahoge. Hajime’s arms moved slowly, but soon he was returning the hug. They stayed like this for what felt like an eternity, but what was probably closer to two minutes. Eventually, they separated, gentle smiles on the pair’s faces. 

“You should get some sleep, Ibuki.” Hajime said.

Ibuki winked, her normal, cheerful composure returning. “Ibuki thinks she will, Hajime-chan! You really are the best bandmate Ibuki could ask for!”

Before Hajime could react, Ibuki leapt at him, giving him one final hug before standing, hopping out of the still open window she came from.

Despite her unusual departure, Hajime couldn’t help but smile gently. He felt a little stronger. Perhaps he might be able to face his nightmares - tonight, at least. Climbing back into bed, he decided to try to sleep again one more time that day. He slowly closed his eyes, letting himself, at last, willing drift slowly into the dark abyss that is his dreams. He had another nightmare, but the following morning, he felt refreshed and strangely comforted by Ibuki’s words. 

When he saw Ibuki, she was standing outside the diner with Hiyoko, Mahiru, and Mikan. Her eyelids were no longer dark on the underside, suggesting that the previous night she had done the same as her bandmate. She grinned cheerfully at the boy, abandoning her conversation with her friends and running over to Hajime, wrapping him in a bear-hug. “Thanks for yesterday, Hajime-chan.” She softly whispered in his ear.

Hajime blushed as she tightened her grip on him, clinging onto him for a couple seconds longer. “Y-yeah...and thank you, too, Ibuki.”

She squeezed him one final time before finally releasing the boy from her embrace, Hajime’s face now a deep red. He noticed that their friends were staring at their sudden public display of affection. Ibuki, oblivious to her surroundings, giggled a little, sticking her nose proudly in the air. “Of course! Ibuki is always ready to help her precious bandmate!” Her eyes suddenly widened, sparkling in the glowing sunlight. “Oh! Hajime-chan! Ibuki has something she wants to show you!” She said, grabbing the boy by the wrist. She began to run, dragging her bandmate with her, running to a random location, both smiling at the newfound bond the two had formed.


End file.
